Understanding Bitwise XOR

The Bitwise XOR operation is a fundamental concept in computer science and is used in various algorithms and data structures to solve problems efficiently. The XOR operation is performed on individual bits of two numbers and returns 1 if the bits are different and 0 if they are the same. The symbol for XOR is ^.

When to Use

1. Data with Duplicate Elements: When dealing with data where elements appear in pairs or multiples, XOR can help identify unique elements.

2. Missing or Repeated Elements: When solving problems where elements are missing or repeated in a sequence, XOR can be a powerful tool.

3. Efficient Swapping: XOR provides a neat solution for swapping values without additional memory.

How Does It Reduce Time Complexity?

1. Constant Time Operation: The XOR operation is a bitwise operation performed in constant time, O(1), regardless of the size of the numbers involved.

2. Linear Time Complexity: When used in algorithms like finding the missing number or unique element, it operates in linear time, O(n), which is efficient for large datasets.

Example problem for better understanding

Single Number

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